Investigative and watchdog journalism is, in most cases, part of the self-conception of leading news media. Austerity measures and the economic situation of the media, however, often don’t leave enough resources for journalists to exercise it.
The significance of the watchdog role is widely recognised by Finnish media organisations.
All leading news media refer to the watchdog role and work to exercise it.
Flemish journalists declare being the watchdog of democracy is of utmost importance, with media organisations welcoming and supporting investigative journalism. However, resources and time invested in investigative journalism are declining.
The mission statements or editorial statutes of the media contain hardly any reference to the role of the media as democratic “watchdogs” in the interests of civil society and are of little importance in the everyday work of media professionals.
The watchdog function of media in Iceland has grown significantly in recent years, and some outlets and programmes have investigative journalism as their brand. Investigative journalism is, however, expensive, and media outlets are grappling with resource constraints.
Canadian journalists see themselves as a watchdog.
Media market investigative and watchdog journalism is part of the self-conception of leading news media, but journalists rarely have resources to exercise it. The mission statements of the leading news media organisations in Greece contain no particular or separate references to investigative journalism or watchdog performance of journalists against the abuse of power and corruption. They just incorporate the conventional rules of journalistic ethics, as defined by the JUADN, a professional association of daily newspapers and broadcasting journalists based in Athens.
Significant value is attributed to the watchdog function of media in Austria.
The public service broadcasters score highly on this criterion, and so do the Guardian Media Group and the Guardian quality newspaper. However, in the newspaper sector at large mission statements (beyond the pithy) are not evident.
The Media for Democracy Monitor (MDM) is a research project from The Euromedia Research Group. This is a network of researchers that collects and exchanges information that help to describe and analyse developments in media structure and policy in Europe.
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